My last blog post on Helicopter Parents in the Workplace ignited a firestorm of feedback about the Millennial generation and the difficulty of recruiting and managing this demographic. If your company depends on Millennials for its future success in maintaining and increasing market share, then you may need concrete tactics for managing and communicating with them.
This next series of posts will focus on providing those tactics to support you in your goals and to ease management's pain. It will cover Delegation (here), Performance Feedback, and Decision Making.
We'll start first with tips for delegating effectively to Millennials.
A common complaint of managers is that Millennials do not follow through on projects assigned or do not complete tasks to satisfaction. When delegating to Millennials follow these rules:
- Connect the dots between task and mission by explaining the importance of the project to the organization
- Define the job enrichment opportunities involved in the project
- Be specific in the results you expect and provide step-by-step instructions for achieving these results
- Communicate your expected timeframe for completing the project and consequences to not getting it done on time
- Mentor on potential roadblocks and how to get around them
- Build in frequent check-ins via 10-minute meetings or text messages to reinforce expectations and answer questions as they arise
These tips may seem like extra work to the Generation X and Baby Boomer bosses of Millennials, but I guarantee their success in increasing productivity and eliminating "re-do's" on the back end. Give it a try, and if you are still struggling reach out for help.
Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group
Workforce Strategies for the New Economy
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